​Universities UK has
launched a national #SupportStudyAbroad campaign asking the UK government to
commit to continue funding study abroad opportunities for UK students, even if
the UK cannot negotiate continued participation in the Erasmus+ programme.

Without continued
funding, 17,000 UK students will miss out on opportunities to study abroad next
year.

The campaign has been launched in response to atechnical note on the future of the
UK’s membership of the Erasmus+ programme in the case of a no-deal Brexit,
released on 28 January. The government has said it would like to stay in the
Erasmus+ programme for future calls. However, if it cannot negotiate continued
Erasmus+ membership, there will be no national alternative to enable students
to go abroad in the case of a no-deal Brexit.

Alistair Jarvis, Universities UK Chief Executive, said: “The
benefits of study abroad are well documented. Not only does study abroad have
clear employability benefits for students, it helps them to develop the
language, communication and intercultural skills that will be so essential to
building a truly global Britain. An investment in
international experience for our students now is an investment in the future of
our economy. Without the international opportunities offered through schemes
like Erasmus, the UK’s workforce will not be equipped to meet the changing
needs of the economy post-Brexit.

“In the case of a
no-deal Brexit, I strongly urge the government to commit to continue funding
study abroad opportunities for UK students, even if the UK cannot negotiate
continued participation in Erasmus+ programme.”

For those from underrepresented and disadvantaged groups the benefits
are even more pronounced:

BME students who studied abroad are 17% more likely to be in 'graduate' jobs six months after graduation

Mature
students who participated in these programmes earn 10% more than their
peers

2) International
opportunities help students develop skills that UK businesses need. Research by the CBI has found that:

Seven out of 10 small and
medium size enterprises believe that future executives will need foreign
language skills and international experience

39% of employers are dissatisfied with graduates’ intercultural
awareness

49% of employers are
dissatisfied with graduates’ language skills

Notes

Universities UK is the collective voice of 136
universities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its mission
is to create the conditions for UK universities to be the best in the
world; maximising their positive impact locally, nationally and globally.
Universities UK acts on behalf of universities, represented by their heads
of institution. Visit: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/.

UUK’s response
to the government’s technical notice can be found on the UUK website.

News

Vivienne Stern, Director of Universities UK International, has today (Tuesday 12 February) called on the government to lower the proposed salary requirement for EEA workers to gain a high-skilled work visa; to £21,000.